One big performance has the potential to change everything, but it hasn’t quite worked that way for Emma Nwofor. On March 22, she ran one of the best races of her career at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships, clocking a personal best of 8.04 seconds in the 60m hurdles. It felt like a step forward, towards stability. But just days later, the track and field star still finds herself dependent on external support.

Nwofor has turned to public support by launching a GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Emma Hurdle Her Way To The World Stage!”

The good thing is, as of March 28, the fundraiser has raised around $8.6k (£6,557) towards a  $33k (£25,000) goal. But the question is, why does a track and field athlete at this level still need help?

Both Nwofor’s track coach, Joel Brown, and strength and conditioning coach Cory Bell are based in the United States. And she wants to train full-time in America. Currently, she can neither stay in the US for long enough to get solid training nor work in the States to support herself. This has forced her to ask for help.

In her own words, she agrees, “Without consistent funding, I can’t stay long enough to get a solid block of training in, and I can’t work in the US to support myself. When I’m back in the UK, I train solo, record my sessions, and send videos to my coach for feedback. It’s not ideal … but I make it work.”

And the support she is seeking is not just about training.

The funds raised by the fundraiser would essentially mean covering the track and field athlete’s flights between the UK & US, accommodation (rent, electricity, bills), quality food, supplements, & protein, transport (petrol, insurance, car maintenance, taxi), coaching fees (track & S&C), treatments, and more.

And when all of that adds up, it becomes clear why even small gaps in funding can hold everything back.

Nwofor is currently ranked No. 2 in Great Britain in her event. Despite competing on the international stage, Nwofor lacks a major commercial sponsorship. This doesn’t quite settle in if you look at her track and field achievements.

She has been a Sun Belt Indoor and Outdoor Champion, a Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Champion, an NCAA Division I All-American both indoors and outdoors, and a national indoor and outdoor champion. She is also a two-time British silver medallist in the hurdles, which makes her current situation feel less like an exception and more like part of a pattern.

And that pattern stretches far beyond one athlete. Across track and field, many competitors are still dealing with financial strain and have to turn to external support to sustain their careers.

Public support helped track and field athletes keep competing

In July 2024, just a day before stepping onto the Olympic stage, American discus thrower Veronica Fraley shared a moment across the track and field world. “I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent,” she wrote.

“My school only sent about 75% of my rent while they pay football players (who haven’t won anything) enough to buy new cars and houses,” shared on X.

Within hours, support began to pour in on her GoFundMe page. Soon after, Flavor Flav and Alexis Ohanian also contributed. At the end, the fundraiser crossed $23,000. More importantly, it allowed Fraley to stay focused on what mattered as she went on to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Interestingly, a similar situation played out for Australia’s track and field athlete Alanah Yukich during the same Olympic cycle. The 400m hurdles athlete had already achieved the Olympic qualification standard but even then, funding remained a challenge.

So, Yukich turned to GoFundMe and shared her situation openly. Soon after,  she raised over $9,000, helping cover the costs of training, travel, and competition.

Clearly, for many, it is not about gaining an advantage. It is about having enough support to simply keep going.